Continue process and apparatus



1935. w. HOEFIN GHOFF El AL r 2,002,996

I CONTINUE PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1933 Ell Patented May as, 1935 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTINUE PROCESS AND APPARATUS Walter Hoefinghofl, Hohenlimburg Obernahmer,

and August Hartmann, Berlin-Lichterfelde,

Germany, assignors to American Bemberg Corporation, Delaware New York, N. Y., a corporation of Application January 6, 1933, Serial No. 650,514 In Austria March 5, 1932 Claims.

5 ing a cellulose in suitable solvents, usually either a cuprammonium solution or caustic alkalis and carbon bisulfide. The solution, prepared by either of these methods, is forced through spin-'- ning nozzles into suitable precipitating baths, whereby a very sensitive thread is produced. This thread is fully hardened by suitable agents during its subsequent handling. The freshly spun thread is first wound on collecting devices, such as spools or reels, or into spinning centrifuges, whereby the hardening liquid is given a sufiicient length of time to act upon the thread. The thread is then treated with liquids in different ways to dissolve and wash out the impurities -,originating from-the raw cellulose and solvents,

and finally, to obtain a, product which is not only free of any chemically dangerous or disadvantageous impurities but also which will possess the desired physical qualities necessary for subsequent handling. After these treatments the drying of the thread isthen performed. In most cases itis necessary to repeatedly rewind the thread during these various treatments so that the thread will gradually assume its final form. The treatment of the thread is carried out most effectively when the yarn is in the form of skeins, since the inside tensions placed on the thread during treatment is thereby equalized. Spools and reels having a changeable circumference have also proven to be suitable.

Although thread produced in accordance with the above described processes is absolutely marketable, the manufacture of the thread is complex and troublesome, and, therefore, expensive because of the numerous steps of operation. The difierent suggestions made in order to simplify the processeshave not been revolutionary.

Moreover, the threads are frequently partially damaged during manufacture and treatment and such damage cannot be avoided even by careful operation and by the use of skilled operators. The output of first quality yarn is always reduced and this reduction is due mostly to uncontrollable minor causes which result frequently in serious loss. In order to avoid these disadvantages many suggestions have been made to use a continuous process for the manufacture of artificial threads from the cellulose. It has been suggested that the thread be led in a single operation from the spinning nozzle, through the different baths and over a drying device to a take-up spool. It has also been suggested that use be made of endless conveyors or bands. By this construction the thread is placed on the endless conveyor or band at the spinning nozzle and then subjected to the action of the precipitating bath and other liquids, and, finally, dried by heated rollers. It is evident that with the use of an economic spinning speed and to insure a suflicient action of the liquids on the spun thread, a very long passage of the thread is required. This process, therefore, not only requires devices which take up much space but which are also diificult to operate.

Suggestions have also been made that the continuous processing or handling of formed yarn be carried out, on large, compactly arranged devices. For example, the use of rotatable cylinders or disks has been suggested, the yarn being led thereover in a plurality of windings, and while thereon being subjected to the action of a precipitating bath and subsequently treated with other liquids. Also reels having intermittently radially and axially movable groups of reeling devices have been used to obtain the desired movement of the thread. In spite of these suggestions, theseprocesses have not proved practical in the trade. It is obvious that considerable time is needed to place the thread upon these devices, because the length of the path of the freethread amounts to from 20 to meters, based upon an economical spinning speed. Considering the sensitiveness of freshly spun thread, the

placing of the thread on the device is also very diflicult, especially when guide bars are used. Breaks in thelthread are frequently due to the sensitiveness of the thread; and even with very careful handling the flow of the treating liquids is injurious to the thread. When the thread breaks it snarls on the roller requiring the complete removal of the-thread wound thereon. This causes a considerable'loss in time and material. Because of these diiflculties, the manufacture of products by this process has been restricted to yarn of very heavy deniers, more particularly to artificial horse hair. However, even for the manufacture of this product, the first mentioned noncontinuous process has been used in preference to a continuous process, because of the fact that the difliculties and losses arising by the use of the latter process overbalance the advantages thereof.

It is, therefore, quite an advance in the art, when it can be shown that the above mentioned difiiculties may be avoided if particularly fine threads (of approximately 2 deniers and less) so-called funnel spinning process is particularly all with water then with alkalis, acids and bleaching baths; in fact withall liquids which are necessary-for the regular after-treatment of artificial silk.

Compared with coarse thread the treatment of fine threads may be carried out with ease and practically without the occurrence of breaks in the thread. An additional advantage resides in the fact that frequently the path of the thread is substantially shorter, which, accordingly, reduces the danger of breaks. This allows a shortening'of the length of the apparatus necessary to carry out the process to such an extent that a compact machine is obtained which can be easily operated.

The process forms an artificial thread of a quality not hitherto obtained. The fineness of the thread is as good as pure silk; but surpasses the latter to a considerable extent, in regard to the formation of a filament of great length free from knots. The thread is also especially uniform with respect to its denier and dyeing qualities. Moreover, during the converting of the euprammonium yarn into stockings, the troublesome irregularities (known as Barre-effect) the cause of which has unsuccessfully been searched for a long time, do not arise.

The invention also comprises an apparatus for carrying out the process. The apparatus consists of a spinning funnel of well known construction, one or more rollers associated with thread guide bars on which the wet treatment is carried' out, and, finally, of a heated roller for drying the thread. Thread guides and turnin means are placed between the different devices.

The end of the apparatus is provided with a reel,

a spool or twisting spindle so that the thread may be wound up in either an untwisted or twisted state. The roller may have the form of cylinders or may be tapered in stages or in a conical manner. In the two latter; cases it is possible to pro duce a shrinkage or a stretching of a thread in a simple manner, if desired. The treating liquid may be applied in difierent ways, for example, the rollers may be rotated in troughs. The thread may also be effectively and advantageously treated on the rollers by spraying, whereby the liquid flows along the entire surface of the cylinders, thus insuring an effective treatment.

The counter current principle may also be used by the use of a vertical, slightly inclined; arrangement of the rollers.' The rollers may also be perforated to insure-an easier treatment of the threads at all points.

The employment of the overhanging arrangement of the rollers and guide bars is also of great advantage to facilitate the placing of the thread.

Attention is now called to the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1 shows an arrangement for the continuous manufacture of fine filaments formed by the-use of a spinning funnel;

' Figure 2 discloses an arrangement which will the guide bar II.

surface .of the roller.

According to Figure 1 the thread I, for example, is treated with a flowing precipitating liquid in the spinning funnel 2 and led over a thread guide 24 to a channel 3 which is fed by the pipe l-with some setting liquid, such as an acid. After passing over the rod 24 the thread is placed in a helical path upon a rotating roller 5 and the different windings are placed in the hooks I2 of The roller 5 is journalled in bearings I, I by stub shafts 5, 6' and dips into a vessel. 8 fed with liquid, such as water, according to the counter current principle by means of the pipe 9. The used liquid is drawn away by the overflow pipe III. The arrows A and B indicate the counter current movement of the liquid.

The completely wet handled thread is next taken by means of guides 24' and 24" to a heated drying roll I3 rotating by means of shafts IS, IS in bearings I I, H. The temperature of the roller is kept constant by the use of hot steam, gas flames or by axially fed circulating hot oil as illustrated by numeral l3. The different thread windings are again placed in hooks I5 of the guide bar I4.

After the thread is dried to the desired degree, it is led to the spool I8 by means of a thread guide I9 which moves in the usual manner, and is wound upon said spool I8 or some analogous collecting device.

Accordingto Figure 2 the thread, also of the the filament type, namely of about 2 deniers, is placed in a helical path on a roller 5 supported at one end by a shaft 6 in bearings I, 'I'. The roller is so shaped as to equalize the shrinkage of the thread. In case the roller is formed with the opposite directed conical surface the thread becomes stretched, this being sometimes desirable. Hooks I! provided on the guide bar II again insure the uniform winding of the thread.

The liquid treatment (water, desulphurizing baths and the like) is carried out by spraying the rollers 5 from above, from several pipes 26 and 26', having small openings 21 and 21 formed therein for that purpose. The number of the pipes and the length of the roller may be increased depending upon the desired treatment and the duration thereof. The liquids flow over the surface of the roller into a vessel 8 in which they are accumulated. Several separate rollers and a corresponding number .of receiving vessels may also be used in case it is advantageous to separately collect the liquid. The thread I is led from the roller 5 over an additional turning bar or guide 24 onto a heated cylinder I3 which is tapered by means of the collar I3, the shaft I6 of the roller being journalled in a bearing IT. The helical path of the thread is obtained by the use of guide bars I4, l4 provided with hooks I5.

The thread is dried on the smaller surfaces of the drying cylinders I3, then led over a wet roll 20 in a container for liquid 2| for re-moistening, and then is wound on the larger surfaces I3 of the cylinder, where it is dried in a stretched condition. The drying of the thread may also be performed so that the thread will-first pass from the larger to the smaller surfaces after being re-moistened between these surfaces. However, the drying may also be carried out in stages, that isthe thread dried on one surface about 50% and completely dried on the second surface. The disk 20 rotates in the trough 2| filled with water,

' soap solution, softening agents or sizing solution.

the thread provided with an over-hung support.

The shaft 6 of the roller 5 is supported vertically or nearly vertically in the bearing 1. The surface of'the roller -5 is .wet with treating liquids fed from the pipe which is located in such a manner that the liquids strike the roller tangentially. By this construction thethread is led toward the flow of the liquid in accordancewith the counter current fiow principle. The perforations in' the surfaces of the roller are advantageous because it permits the liquid to completely envelop the thread at all points, thereby insuring a more complete action of the liquid on the thread.

Having now set forth the new invention as required by the patent statutes, what it is desired to claim is:

1. In combination a spinnerette for extruding filaments of artificial origin, a series of cylinders, means for guiding the filaments from said spinnerette to said cylinders, means for guiding the filaments around said cylinders in a helical path, means for wet-treating and drying the filaments during their passage of the cylinders, the drying being accomplished in steps on a plurality of said cylinders, the cylinders being heated, and means for remoistening the filaments between said cylinders. 2 w

2. In a process for the continuous production of filaments of artificial origin the steps of forming the filaments, wet treating the filaments, contracting them during wet treatment, drying them,- stretching the filaments during the drying step, and then passing them to a collecting device.

3. In a process for the continuous production,

of filaments of artificial origin the steps of forming the filaments, wet treating the filaments, contracting them during wet treatment, drying them in stages and stretching the filaments during the drying step, then passing them to. a collecting device.

4. In a process for the continuous production of filaments of artificial origin the steps of forming the filaments, passing them around a plurality of rotating rollers, :wet treating and drying them while thereon, contracting the filaments during the wet treatment thereof, drying them in stages on a plurality of heated ro1lers, remoistening the filaments between said heated rollers, then passing the filaments to a collecting device.

5. In combination, a spinnerette for extending filaments of artificial origin, a series of cylinders, means for guiding the filaments from said spinnerette to saidcylinders, means for guiding the filaments around said cylinders in a helical path, means for wet treating the filaments as they pass first of the series of cylinders being of progressively decreasing diameter, the last cylinder in the series being of an increased diameter and being heated whereby the threads are dried in around the first of the series of cylinders, said Q steps and in stretched condition, and a collecting Y WALTER HOEFDIGHOFF. AUGUST HARTMANN. 

